Machine for filling boxes.



J. c. THOM. MACHINE FOR FILLING BOXES. APPLICATION FILEDL JULY 8, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET'2.

- @1 .0 P 1.1 0 l J l '11; EFT; 1a W F74 wuamoz James 6' f 20122 NITED STATES rArENr FFICE.

JAMES CRAWFORD THOM, 0F HELMET-I35, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SNUFF COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. ,YL, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

nncnmn non ILLING noxns.

Specification 0 Letters Patent.

. Patented Nov. 9, I 1' Application filed July 8, 1907. Serial 110.88%,657. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES CRAWFORD THoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helmetta, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented new 2 and useful Improvements in Machines for Filling Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for filling boxes or other receptacles or containers with granular material, and has for its object toprovide means whereby vessels fed to the machine, either automatically or by hand, are, by the machine, automatically filled, and, furthermore, filled in such manner that the several'vessels, so filled, will contain like or equal quantities of the material filled thereinto,

and a further object of the invention is to accomplish the filling of vessels, and the handling of the vessels during the fillin operation, in a novel manner and by nove mechanism.

To the ends stated the invention is found in a filling machine involving the combina-. tion and mode of operation, and the several novel sub-combinations, of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

That which is regarded as new will be set forth in the clauses of claim appended to the description.

In the art of mechanical filling of material into boxes or other vessels it is desirable that the material shall be so predisposed that it will enter the several vessels into which it is filled in like manner, to the end that the vessels, when filled, will-contain like quantities of the material, and this is especially so where the merchandise is sold in containers or vessels by weight, as for example snufi' in ounce packages, or packages of fractional parts or multiples of ounces, it bein' essential that each of the many boxes dai y filled by the machine shall contain the requisite quantity or weight of the merchandise. This object is obtained by the machine of' my invention.

In the accompanyingdrawings 'illustrating the invention; Figure 1 is. a central vertical sectional view, and, Fig. 2 is a plan taken on the section line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of the compressor-arms. Fig.

vdisk 3, which pushers engage 4 is a front view of same. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the measuring-gate and showin also the compacter-arms.

aving reference to the said drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a vat within which is disposed a rotatable axle 2 upon which is arranged the hub 4 of a table 3 carrying a detachable annular disk 3 which constitutes a traveling bottom for the hereinafter described hopper portion of the vat 1, and which disk is provided with a series of openings 5. In the vat the material to be filled into the vessels is contained. Beneath said disk 3 isdisposed a vessel run, or rail 6, preferably inclined, as best shown in Fig. 1, from the place 7 where the vessels are fed tot he machine to the part where the vessels are filled and then back again to the veseldischarging portion 8, Fig. 2. The vessels 9 into which the material is to be filled are introduced at 7 on to the rail 6 either by hand or automatically, and when placed thereon are engaged by carriers, the preferred ar range'ment of which is shown as consisting of a series of pushers 10, connected to and depending from the rearward portions of the walls of the several openin 5 of the iehind the several vessels 9, and when so engaged the mouths'of the vessels 9 are in accurate register with the corresponding openings 5. As the disk 3 is rotated the vessels are carried along with it by the pushers, with which the vessel run or rail 6 cotiperates and which, cooperating together, constitute a means for moving vessels with the traveling bottom in register with the openings therein, and, riding on the inclined run or rail 6, the mouths thereof are caused to enter the 0 enings 5, and gradually ascend therein unt' the rims of the vessel mouths are flush with the u per surface of-the disk as seen at 9 at the le in Fig. .1. The openings 5 are tapered as shown at 5 for the purpose of making the cover-receiving ortion of the vessels of exactly the same size and shape so that covers of standard size will accurately fit the same. This idea is shown upon a somewhat enlalgd scale in Fig. 5.

ranged above the disk is a segmental shed 11 extending, as shown, about threequarters way about the circuit ofthe cylmunder said shed.- The material is so agitated. This pinion tated by means of agitator blades, the preferred construction and arrangement of which is shown in the drawing as consistin of blades 12 connected to a rotary gear-hu 13 loose on the axle 2 and in mesh with a driving pinion 14 by means of which said hub and the blades carried thereby are ronap-y be driven in any suitable way as by a p ey 14 receiving motion from any suitablesource which pulley throu h the gears described or any other suitab e way also imparts continuous motion to the conveyer 3. The pinion 14 is designed to also rotate the gear 4, the axle 2 to which said gear is keyed, the hub 4, table 3 and annular disk 3 carried by said table.

For the more thorough agitation of the material additional stirrer blades 15 carried by spiders 16 from a hub 17, keyed to the axle 2 may be provided, and these additional blades when used rotate oppositely to the rotation of the blades 12. I

That portion of the vat not closed by the shed 11 and from which the material is discharged through the openings in the annular disk 3 into the vessels to be filled I designate a hopper, and this hopper is an elongated one as shown, that is to say it is of a ength sufficient to permit the said disk to be continuously moved beneath the same and yet allow the vessels to be filled while in motion passing beneath the hopper, thus avoiding the necessity of a eriodlc or intermittent movement of the disk which would be necessary if the dimensions of the hopper were equal only to the dimensions of a single vessel. Arranged in this hopper are devices to properly dispose the material in the vessels. As shown there is first, a rotary compressor comprising conical-ended arms 19 carried by a stud-shaft 20 provided with a pinion 21 in mesh with and driven by the gears 49 and 13. Combined with the compressor arms 19 are wings 22 which act on the material in the immediate vicinity of the vessels being filled and shovel the same into the vessels. The conical arms compress the material in the vessels radially in all directions and when they draw out leave a conical unfilled space in the vessels. The vessels then pass beneath a stirrer consisting of a series of beater-arms 23 carried by a shaft 24 rovided with a pinion 25 in mesh with and driven by the gears 4 and 13. This stirrer heats up or loosens the material and disposes it so that it is in a condition to freely drop into and fill the conical space formed by the compressor. arms 19. The vessels then pass beneath the shed 11 traversing a compartment 26 in which is located a' compacter comprisin hammer-ended arms 27 carried by a sha t 28 having a pinion 29 inmesh with and driven by the aforesaid gears 49 and 13. These compacterarms press down upon and compact the material into the vessels. Means, one suitable type of which is shown, are provided to measure or regulate the quantity of material which enters the compartment 26 above, and which is to be compacted into, the vessels 9 to secure uniformity of quantity of material filled into the respective vessels. The measurer or regulator shown consists of a gate 30 at the entrance to chamber 26, which permits only a fihnof predetermined depth to pass into the chamber and be compacted into the vessels by the compactorarms 27 The vessels then pass out of the compartment of chamber 26 beneath a doctor 31 which scrapes the material off even with the mouths of the vessels, after which the latter are conveyed to the discharge point 8. The surplus material scraped oil? by the doctor returns to the vat through a throat 32, as shown.

In order to enable the machine to deal with packages of different dimensions, the annular disk 3 is made detachable from the table 3, so that other disks with different sized openings 5 may be substituted therefor. To ad ust the disk 3' properly with respect to the hop er of the vat the hub 4 which carries the disk may rest upon jack screws 33, as shown. With this object of dealing with vessels of different capacity the gate 30 may also as shown he made adjustable to admit films of material of desired thickness or depth to the,chamber 26 to be acted on by the compaete'r-arms 27. As the vessels are introduced on to the vessel run or rail the mouths thereof, by reason of the inclination of said run or rail, gradually ride up into the frusto-conical openings of the disk 3 until the mouths of the vessels fit accurately thereinto flush with the upper surface of the disk whereby they are in position to receive their full quota of the material to be packed therein, and are shaped to receive a standard cover as before stated. As the disk 3 continues its rotation and before it passes again beneath the shed 11 the arms of the plural-armed rotary compacter press or compact the material in the filled vessels 9, as described and the vessels ride down the rail 6 to a discharge chute 8 when they may be covered by hand or go to an automatic cover-applying mechanism, or be otherwise dealt with.

In ractice the vessel-mouths do not fit into t e openings 5 with suflicient force to prevent them from freely leaving the openings wh'en filled as described, and the pressure of the compacter-arms will start the vessels should any sticking occur.

The mechanism for dealing with and presenting the vessels to receive material from the vat or source of sup ly is novel and extremely simple and is c aimed as invention whether or not means are provided to measure or regulate the quantity of material introduced into the vessels; and again the means for measuring the quantity of material packed into the vessels is novel, simple, and efficient and is claimed as an invention whether or not the cans are presented to the source of supply to be filled in the manner hereinbefore described.

Having'thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a vessel filling machine, the combi-- nation with a vat having an elongated discharge hopper of capacity sufiicient to discharge into a plurality of vessels, a traveling bottom for said'hopper provided with a series of openings adapted to communihopper bottom, means for causing vessels to move with said hopper bottom 1n register with the opening therein, and means for supporting the vessels.

3. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat having an elongated dis charge hopper of capacity suflicient to dis-' charge into a lurality of vessels, a traveling bottom for sald hopper, provided with a series of openings adapted to communicate with said hopper, means for continuously moving said hopper bottom, means for causing vessels to move with said hopper bottom in register with the openings therein, and

a vessel run-way beneath the traveling bottom.

4. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat having an elongated discharge hopper of capacity suflieient to discharge mto a plurality of vessels, a traveling bottom for sand hop er provided with a series of openings adapted to communicate with said hopper, means for continuously moving said traveling bottom, means for.

causing vessels to move with said traveling bottom in register with the openings therein, and a vessel run-way beneath the traveling bottom inclined from the point of re.- ception of the vessels to the vessel filling point and declining from thence to the point of discharge.

5. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat having an elongated discharge hopper, a compressor located in said hopper, a traveling hopper bottom provided with a series of openings adapted to com-' for said hopper provided with a series of openings adapted to, communicate with the hopper, means for moving vessels to be filled in register with the openlngs in said traveling bottom, and means for continuously moving said traveling bottom, substantially as described.

'7. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat provided with a hopper, a traveling bottom for said hopper provided with a series of openings, means for closing communication between the vat and traveling hopper bottom except at the hopper, said hopper bottom provided with means to engage vessels and cause them to travel therewith, and means for forcing the mouths of the vessels into the openings in the said traveling bottom.

8. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat having a hopper, a traveling bottom for said hopper provided with a series of openings, means for closing communication' betweem the vat and traveling hopper bottom except at the hopper, said traveling bottom provided with means for engaging vessels and causing them to travel therewith, and an inclined vessel run-way beneath the travelin bottom.

9. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat provided with a hopper, a traveling bottom for said hopper having a series of openings, means for closing communication between thevat and traveling hopper bottom except at the hopper, a stirrer in said hopper, means associated with the traveli hopper bottom to position vessels to be fil ed in register with the openings therein and causing said vessels to travel therewith, and means for forcing the mouths of the vessels into said openings.

10. In a vessel-filling machine, the combination with a vat, a traveling bottom having openings to communicate therewith, means for moving vessels with said traveling bottom in register with the openings therein, and means cooperatively arranged with relation to the openings in the convelyer for compacting materlal in the vesse s.

11. In a vessel-filling machine the combination with a vat, a traveling bottom for said vat adapted to engage the vessels to be filled and provided with openings adapted to communicate with the vat, means for supporting the vessels, and means cooperatively arranged with relation to the openings in the traveling bottom for compacting material into the vessels.

12. In a vessel-filling machine, the combination with a vat, a traveling bottom having openings in communication with the vat, means for causing vessels to move with said traveling bottom in register with the openings therein, compacter means cooperatively arranged with relation to the openings in the traveling bottom, and means for regulating the quantity of material to be acted on by the compacter means.

13. In a vessel-filling machine, the combination with a vat, a traveling bottom having openings in communication with the vat, means for moving vessels wit-h said traveling bottom in register with the openings therein, compacter means cooperatively arranged with relation to the openings in the traveling bottom, means for regulating the quantity of material to be acted on by the compacter means, and a doctor for removing surplus material. I,

14. In a vessel-filling machine, the combination with a vat, a traveling bottom having openings in communication with the vat, means for moving vessels with said traveling bottom in register with the openings therein, compacter means coiiperatively ar-.

ranged with relation to the openings in the traveling bottom, and adjustablemeans for regulating the quantity of material to be acted on by the compacter means.

15. In a vessel-filling machine, the combination with a vat, a traveling bottom having openings in communication with the vat, means for moving vessels with said traveling bottom in register with the openings therein, compacter means cooperatively arranged with relation to the openings in the traveling bottom, adjustable means for regulating the quantity of material to be acted on by the compacter means, and a doctor for removing surplus material.

16. In a vessel-filling machine, the combination with a vat, a traveling bottom having openings to communicate with the vat, means for moving vessels with said traveling bottom in register with the openings therein, a chamber having a throat for sur-, plus material leading to the vat, compactermeans located in said chamber, means for regulating the quantity of material to be acted upon by the compacter-means, and a doctor for removing surplus material.

17. In a vessel-filling machine, the combination with a vat, a traveling bottom having openings to. communicate with the vat,

means for moving vessels with said traveling bottom in register with the openings therein, means for regulating the quantity of material to be packed into the vessels, and means for packing the material in said vessels.

18. In a vessel-filling machine, the combination with a vat having a hopper, a traveling bottom having vessel-openings in communication with the hopper, means for moving vessels with said traveling bottom in register with the open' s therein, means for stirring the material in the vat, means for compressing the material in the vessels, means for regulating the quantity of material to be packed in the vessels, and means for packing the material in said vessels.

19. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat having an elongated discharge hopper of capacity sufiicient to discharge into a plurality of vessels, a traveling bottom for said vat provided with a series of openings adapted to communicate with said hopper and provided with means to engage vessels to position them in register with the openings therein, a vessel run-way beneath thetraveling bottom, and means for continuously moving said bottom.

20. In a vessel-filling machine the combination with a vat, means for presenting vessels to receive material from said vat, compacter means for compact-ing material into said vessels, means for regulating the quantity of material to be acted upon by the compacter means, and a doctor for removing. surplus material.

21. In a vessel-filling machine the combi nation with a vat, means for presenting vessels to receive material from said' vat, compacter means for compacting material into said vessels, adjustable means for regulating the quantity of material to be acted upon by the compacter means, and a doctor for removing surplus material.

22. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat, means for presenting vessels to receive material from the vat, an adjustable gate combined with the vat to regulate the depth of a film of material ex posed above the vessels, and a compacter for acting upon said film of material.

23. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat having a discharge hopper and a chamber associated therewith, means for presenting vessels to receive material from said vat, compacter-means located in said chamber, and adjustable means for regulating the opening into said chamber.

24. In a vessel filling machine, the combinatiomwith a vat having a discharge ho per and a chamber associated therewit means for presenting vessels to receive material from said vat compacter means located in said cham er, adjustable means for regulating the opening into said chamber, said chamber having an outlet for the discharge of surplus material.

25. In a'vessel filling machine, the-combination with a vat having a discharge hopper and a chamber associated therewith, means for presenting vessels to receive material from said vat, compacter means located in said chamber, adjustable means for regulating the opening into said chamber, a doctor for removing surplus material, said chamber having a discharge for the surplus material removed by said doctor.

26. In a vessel filling machine, the combination with a vat, having a discharge hopper and a chamber communicating therewith, means for presenting vessels to receive material from the vat, and compacter means located in said chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand in presence of two subscribing 20 witnesses.

JAMES CRAWFORD THOM.

Witnesses:

R. B. WEEKS, JOHN M. DE Von. 

